top of page
Data Visualizations
The datasets and visualizations for this project were collected and created using Brandwatch and NVivo.
Click the visualizations below for more information.
Total Mentions Map
Unless otherwise described, the data analyzed consists of English language tweets. Between March 8 and August 31, 2020 there were over 4 million English twitter posts mentioning tennis or related terms, like the names of top players. Despite the limitations of this dataset, the heat map shows it represents significant geographic diversity.
Trending Topics
A visualization of trending tennis topics from the moment Indian Wells was cancelled to the begin of the US Open shows the conversation evolving from jokes about Wimbledon's unlikely gamble to purchase pandemic insurance, to Roger Federer's suggestion to merge the men's and women's tours, to Novak Djokovic's series of public blunders, to Black women in tennis leading the charge to bring racial justice issues to the minds of a global tennis audience
Topics Wheel
Topics wheel showing what people tweeted about in connection with tennis
Word Cloud
A visualization of the phrases, words, and emojis most commonly used in tweets about tennis and related topics during the pandemic pause
Mention Volume
This chart shows when tennis and related topics trended over the course of the pandemic pause.
It shows spikes from mid-March through early April as the first waves of cancellations were announced.
There is a smaller spike mid-April when Roger Federer expressed support for merging the men's and women's tours.
There is a large spike in June, when several tennis players tested positive for COVID-19, following an exhibition tour orchestrated by Novak Djokovic.
The largest single spike comes in early July, when a racist cartoon about Serena Williams recirculated.
A spike in early August marks the return of the women's professional tennis tour.
The final upward trend came on the first day of the US Open, notably the most tweeted about topic related to the US Open was Naomi Osaka wearing a mask reading "Breonna Taylor" when she walked on court.
It shows spikes from mid-March through early April as the first waves of cancellations were announced.
There is a smaller spike mid-April when Roger Federer expressed support for merging the men's and women's tours.
There is a large spike in June, when several tennis players tested positive for COVID-19, following an exhibition tour orchestrated by Novak Djokovic.
The largest single spike comes in early July, when a racist cartoon about Serena Williams recirculated.
A spike in early August marks the return of the women's professional tennis tour.
The final upward trend came on the first day of the US Open, notably the most tweeted about topic related to the US Open was Naomi Osaka wearing a mask reading "Breonna Taylor" when she walked on court.
Sentiment Analysis after BNPPO Cancellation
With some players and press already on-site and qualifying underway, the BNP Paribas Open is cancelled.
In the previous year, the tournament outside of Palm Springs California welcomed 475,372 fans on-site over two weeks.
A sentiment analysis of English language tweets at the time marks the bulk of inital reactions as neutral, with significantly more negative than positive reactions.
In the previous year, the tournament outside of Palm Springs California welcomed 475,372 fans on-site over two weeks.
A sentiment analysis of English language tweets at the time marks the bulk of inital reactions as neutral, with significantly more negative than positive reactions.
Trending Topics After Federer Proposes Merger
Top men's tennis player took to Twitter to muse about merging the men's and women's tour organizations into one, saying "Just wondering…..am I the only one thinking that now is the time for men’s and women’s tennis to be united and come together as one?"
Fellow top men's player Rafael Nadal, who previously stated opposition to equal pay between men's and women's players, announced his support for a merger. Feminist tennis icon Billie Jean King responded "I agree, and have been saying so since the early 1970s. One voice, women and men together, has long been my vision for tennis. The WTA on its own was always Plan B. I’m glad we are on the same page. Let’s make it happen." Over the years, many women advocated for a merger, but they never received such signicant support from the men's side.
An analysis of trrnding topics associated with his account mentions shows great initial excitement, but over the next two weeks, there was a rapid decline in conversations about the topic.
Fellow top men's player Rafael Nadal, who previously stated opposition to equal pay between men's and women's players, announced his support for a merger. Feminist tennis icon Billie Jean King responded "I agree, and have been saying so since the early 1970s. One voice, women and men together, has long been my vision for tennis. The WTA on its own was always Plan B. I’m glad we are on the same page. Let’s make it happen." Over the years, many women advocated for a merger, but they never received such signicant support from the men's side.
An analysis of trrnding topics associated with his account mentions shows great initial excitement, but over the next two weeks, there was a rapid decline in conversations about the topic.
Topics Wheel Naomi Osaka Strike
Naomi Osaka announces she will not play Cincy semi-final to take stand on social justice. She posted a note on her social media saying “As many of you are aware I was scheduled to play my semifinals match tomorrow. However, before I am an athlete, I am a black woman. And as a black woman I feel as though there are much more important matters at hand that need immediate attention, rather than watching me play tennis. I don’t expect anything drastic to happen with me not playing, but if I can get a conversation started in a majority white sport I consider that a step in the right direction. Watching the continued genocide of Black people at the hand of the police is honestly making me sick to my stomach. I’m exhausted of having a new hashtag pop up every few days and I’m extremely tired of having this same conversation over and over again. When will it ever be enough? #JacobBlake, #BreonnaTaylor, #ElijahMcclain, #GeorgeFloyd”
In the two days that followed her announcement, she was mentioned over 100K times on Twitter. The topic wheel analyzing these mentions shows she was successful in pushing these issues to the minds of her global audience.
In response, the US Tennis Association suspened play for one day in respect for the ongoing protests against racism and police brutality. She subsequently announced "As you know, I pulled out of the tournament yesterday in support of racial injustice and continued police violence. I was (and am) ready and prepared to concede the match to my opponent. However, after my announcement and lengthy consultation with the WTA and USTA, I have agreed at their request to play on Friday. They offered to postpone all matches until Friday and in my mind that brings more attention to the movement. I want to thank the WTA and the Tournament for their support."
An analysis of terms Twitter users mentioned in connection with her in the 48 hours following the statement shows that she was successful in bringing increased attention to racism and police brutality.
In the two days that followed her announcement, she was mentioned over 100K times on Twitter. The topic wheel analyzing these mentions shows she was successful in pushing these issues to the minds of her global audience.
In response, the US Tennis Association suspened play for one day in respect for the ongoing protests against racism and police brutality. She subsequently announced "As you know, I pulled out of the tournament yesterday in support of racial injustice and continued police violence. I was (and am) ready and prepared to concede the match to my opponent. However, after my announcement and lengthy consultation with the WTA and USTA, I have agreed at their request to play on Friday. They offered to postpone all matches until Friday and in my mind that brings more attention to the movement. I want to thank the WTA and the Tournament for their support."
An analysis of terms Twitter users mentioned in connection with her in the 48 hours following the statement shows that she was successful in bringing increased attention to racism and police brutality.
bottom of page